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e-Governance

Gujarat has been one of the frontline State in the implementation of e-governance policies & projects and setting up of key infrastructure for this purpose. Independent agencies have rated Gujarat as one of the most e-prepared State in the country. State Govt. has adopted innovative / progressive policies for promotion of e-governance in the State. Some of the salient features of e-governance strategies are as following:-

I. Infrastructure

Gujarat State Wide Area Network (GSWAN)

State Data Center / Server Farm

Sachivalaya Integrated Communication Network (SICN)

Integrated Workflow and Document Management System (IWDMS)

II. Policies

Website Development Policy

Training Policy

Total Service Provider Policy (TSP)

Language Standardization Policy

GIL – Nodal agency for e-governance, including procurement of hardware and software.

IT Policy

III. e-governance road-map

Undoubtedly e-governance has emerged as a potent tool for any citizen centric, transparent and effective governance system. With key infrastructure and policies in place, GoG has aggressively promoted information sharing with the citizen by way of display and disclosure of information of large number of functional departments and their subordinate organizations through their respective websites. There are more than 200 websites which provide information on various aspects of governance in the State.

IV. Government is aware that information is not enough to meet ever- growing needs for Government services. Therefore, a number of initiatives to provide quicker delivery of government services to the citizen have been taken up in the past. This include e-Dhara (land records computerization); e-municipality (delivery of citizen centric services through municipalities in the State); e-gram (delivery of village panchayat level services); SWAGAT (grievances redressal forum using ICT). Now State Govt. has been making efforts to integrate all these de-centralized services and provide 24 X 7 services through an “online portal” of the State. Further, line departments are being encouraged to develop back-end application soft-wares for improving internal efficiencies by way of better monitoring and supervision of their activities and programmes. Recently, Finance Deptt. as well as Home Deptt. have appointed M/s. TCS to develop an integrated application software for these departments.

V. e-Governance is incomplete unless government services are made available to the citizens in a hasselfree and 24x7 manner.

For this purpose government of Gujarat has undertaken two major programmes. Firstly, government has decided to provide "Broadband" connectivity to all the 13716 Village Panchayats in the state through e-Gram Vishwagram Society under the Panchayat & Rural Housing Department of the state government. Secondly, all Village Panchayats have been provided with the computers, printers and other necessary hardware so as to enable the village level computer operators to deliver government services to the people.

For this purpose government is also planning to setup an "Online Portal" which will accept citizen's request for various services such as copies of land records, applications for ration card, education certificates under Gujarat Higher Secondary Education Board, social security schemes such as old age pension, widow pension scheme etc.

In addition, out of every three Gram Panchayat, one will have a Common Service Centre (CSC) as contemplated under the National e-Governance Plan (NEGP). It is expected that by march 2008, most of these activities would be completed and the "Online Portal" will also be operational.

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